Will is a former jungle expedition leader, a BBC presenter, writer, and public speaker, who has been story-telling in schools, universities, and educational institutions for over a decade.
He is the presenter of seven BBC series, ranging from his award-winning work living with tribal people in Hunters of the South Seas and My Year With The Tribe, to his domestic series on rivers The River Wye with Will Millard, The River Taff with Will Millard, Go Fish! and his multi-series adventure history programmes under the Hidden Wales banner. He is also the author of five children’s books including four Three Step Stories, for early-reader immersion into the wildlife on our doorstep, and First Day Fishing for ages 8 to 15 hoping to catch their very first fish.
These are uncertain times and student’s anxiety about the world they are set to inherit can feel very real. Will’s school talks build hope through a celebration of diversity both at home and abroad, encouraging the next generation to take notice, to stay curious, and, above all: to believe in a better planet for every living thing.
‘Ask an Explorer’ (adjustable for ages nursery to 18) focuses on Will’s many experiences living and working in the jungle and the remote indigenous tribal people he has had the incredible privilege of learning from. Students will learn how to avoid snake bite, what to do when attacked by jungle hornets, how to build a shelter, and how to breathe like a Bajau spear-fisherman! This hands-on talk also features Will’s expedition equipment (pack rafts, jungle hammocks, ration packs, and more) plus unique artefacts donated to Will including: Sumatran medicine tubes, Bajau free-diving goggles, hand-made footballs, whale’s teeth, Korowai shields and arrows. On request, Will can also provide live Amazonian catfish in his oxygenated travel tanks!
‘The Travelling Nature Table’ (adjustable for ages nursery to 18) focuses on the natural wonders closer to home: our fish, freshwater environments, and the fragility of the natural world. With live specimens from Will’s home tanks and ponds, students will learn about the food web and how everything, from the smallest invertebrates to the biggest creatures, is utterly dependent on each other. Will will read from his nature books, encouraging a passion for our wildlife and developing literacy with targeted workshops.
‘I will survive’ (for students 16 +) covers the most harrowing experiences of Will's life: being threatened at arrow-point on his BBC series My Year With The Tribe, being lost in the jungle without food for a month, being part of a life-threatening whale hunt during BBC’s Hunters of the South Seas, and losing team members, and close friends, to preventable illnesses while working in the developing world. Will opens up about his subsequent PTSD and depression and how he rediscovered the beauty in the world. He will outline the skills he developed to think clearly, positively, and proactively; even when it feels like everything is going wrong. Why ‘every minute matters’ and why none of should ever be afraid to ask for help. This talk can be an opportunity for smaller groups of young people to share their own experiences and fears, in an open-minded, sympathetic and empathetic forum.
Penarth
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